Franco Morbidelli says he is out to right the wrongs of the Andalucian Grand Prix in Sunday’s race at Brno, setting his sights firmly on the first podium finish he was denied last time out by mechanical woes.
Morbidelli was looking all but certain to finish second to team-mate Fabio Quartararo at Jerez until becoming the latest victim of Yamaha’s engine misery – left watching from the sidelines after his engine warning lights came on while fighting for the podium.
But there’s every reason to believe that Morbidelli can make up for it in tomorrow’s Czech Grand Prix, after demonstrating all weekend a fast pace in practice and backing it up in qualifying by coming home in third.
And, with that as motivation and with his best weekend to date of his premier-class career, he says he’s raring to get going tomorrow.
“This weekend started well straight away for us, with a good feeling with the bike and with the track,” said Morbidelli.
“It definitely looks like my best weekend so far, and I’m going to try and capitalise on it tomorrow.
“I’ve been fast on many weekends last year and in Jerez, but this weekend it feels like there is a little more speed. I’m going to try and get the podium I already deserved in Jerez.”
With that confidence from last weekend and perhaps the best race pace of everyone in Brno – at least on paper – Morbidelli is happy that he and his team have done everything they need to fight for victory,
“I’ve tried to do everything I need to do to fight for the win, and in Jerez I could clearly fight for the podium,” he said.
“If I had started from a better position, who knows what I could have done there, with a clear track.”
But there is still one challenge that Morbidelli and the rest of the MotoGP grid still need to face: the expected tyre drop-off during the race.
Running in red hot conditions at the Czech circuit and with riders already complaining about the condition of the track, it remains the unknown for everyone.
“I didn’t see anyone doing full distance on the tyres,” said Morbidelli,.
“Tyre drop is a key thing. We’re going to jump into the unknown at some point in the race, but it’ll be like this for everyone. For sure it’s going to be interesting for the public, but it’ll be interesting for the riders too.”
